If you have driven by our courtyard you have noticed the trailer and all our stuff- tables, plants, umbrellas- are GONE. Fear not! We will be back. We are simply moving indoors.
Today we are signing a lease that will put us in a prime spot on the Square. Our official address is 28 Court Square. We will be immediately to the right of Bank of America- in the old Famous Grocery Building. A place designated as a national historical landmark. I am thrilled by the aesthetics of the place. Fortunately, Toney Aid is willing to be creative in working with us. As soon as the paperwork is done we will begin the process of converting the space over to the cafe. We will be putting in a kitchen as well as making an aesthetic dining space.
Our priority will be the kitchen as we can't function without it. You may see the dining area evolve over the next few weeks, even after we are open. As before, we are doing it all in baby steps. Selling the trailer has given us the capital for the basic equipment and remodel. The remodel will consist mostly of adding some plumbing and electrical to facilitate our appliances. We'll be painting and doing some fairly minor carpentry.
If you'd like to trade some sweat labor for food-- we are very happy to do so. We want to keep as much money in the local economy as we possibly can. We also have no income while we are closed. So getting open FAST is a priority.
We've been speaking with the fire department, the health department, the liquor board (yep- hoping to get at least a beer and wine license) and adding to our learning curve. Yeowza! Mucho to learn.
One of the things I am most looking forward to is the ability to expand our menu to include tapas. We HOPE- please note I said hope- to be able to be open Friday nights. The deciding factor is how to take care of Mom. We can usually safely leave her on her own during the early day as she is a late riser. But leaving her alone in the evening is a whole nuther thing entirely. So we have to make some kind of arrangement that is suitable and worthwhile.
Our concept for Friday nights would be a place you could come, dressed casually and comfortably, and get to hear live acoustic music, eat good food, drink your favorite beverages and visit with friends. We hope to create an atmosphere that is extremely comfortable where you would feel equally comfortable bringing your mother or your child or grandchild or beau. We want to present music in an intimate setting where the musician is respected and heard without having to blast out the audience and where the audience listens and is attentive.
My food plans for Friday nights are to lean toward tapas-- light food designed to be accompanied by wine and beer. The concept is from Spain and features small plates of tasty morsels. To that end I played with a new recipe from Stephan Pyles- restauranteur extraordinaire in Dallas. His new restaurant is a fusion of India, Spain and the Middle East. The recipe is for a Lebanese eggplant dip served with pita chips. Very nice. It is called Moutabal.
Another small dish I am considering is a dish called Pogaca- or feta dumplings. It is a savory pastry full of feta and parsley and baked with a shiny egg yolk finish. They are a favorite in Turkish bakeries where they are served as a take-along breakfast or savory snack.
We also plan to be open for coffee and light breakfast Monday - Friday. We arrive by 7:30am most days and will have dark roast coffee (I'm a Starbucks fan) and muffins. You'll be welcome to read your paper, do your homework or work out your next legal brief--or even work on that new novel you are writing. There are even lots of places to plug in the power cord on your computer. Hopefully, we will soon be able to offer wi-fi--part of the learning curve. We are going to be SO SMART when we get through this.
Today we learn about building permits and inspections. Our mosaic glass sample has come in for my color board. We are keying the color scheme off the glass tile we are putting on the backsplash. Any of you who have known me first as a fiber artist know I am ALL about color. The tiles may have to come at a later date but the scheme will be in place.
We are now past the point of terror and are simply putting the next actions in place. So far the biggest surprise and area of confusion has to do with the exhaust hood. That could actually cost more than all the other appliances combined- OUCH!
We very much are looking forward to seeing you in our new place. Our primary focus will remain lunch. Hopefully, it will be a place you and your friends frequent and you find fills your need for "something a little different." We'd also love it if you find it is Friday night and you are thinking, "I wonder what is happening over at A La Carte tonight. Let's go find out."
See you very soon!!!!
In our fourth year, we continue to explore the developing wealth of local ingredients. We celebrate the seasons by using as many local ingredients as we can source. All our dishes are made from scratch using the freshest we can find.
